


Mindgames - a mini story

by tinadolphin



Category: due South
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-28
Updated: 2015-07-28
Packaged: 2018-04-11 19:34:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4449518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinadolphin/pseuds/tinadolphin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Victoria shows up and plays mindgames with Fraser. <br/>Written from Fraser's POV</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mindgames - a mini story

Twice a week I still did the liaison work with the 27th district in Chicago. Today it  
was Ray Vecchio's day off so I was riding with Ray Kowalski. Two great detectives  
that worked in totally different ways but after a period of awkwardness they had  
learned to work together and it made my life much easier too.

I had first gotten to know Ray Vecchio when I came to Chicago on the trail of my  
father's killer. A trail that later on had sent me back to work at the Canadian  
Consulate here in Chicago as I had managed to turn in one of our own, but he was  
my father's killer and what justice was coming his way he deserved it. I had also in  
that progress learned that he had been behind my mother dying when I was just six  
years old. A thing that even now 30 years later made my heart ache.

Three years ago, two years after I came to Chicago, Ray had gotten a chance to go  
undercover to bust up the mafia. A job that had taken him away from his family and  
friends for two years. Not knowing if he'd come back or not to his job at the 27th  
precinct he had been replaced by another Ray. Stanley Raymond Kowalski, but  
working undercover he had been Ray Vecchio. It had been a very confusing day the  
day Diefenbaker, my half wolf half husky, came back from a long vacation back  
home in the Northern Territories. Thinking back to that day I had to admit that  
Kowalski had done his homework, he knew everything about me and the Vecchio  
family as well.

"What's up buddy?" Ray asked me as we rode along the streets of Chicago. "The wife  
giving you problems?"

I turned my head and smiled, Meg Fraser née Thatcher, we had been married for  
three months by now. She was still the acting Inspector at the Canadian Consulate  
we both worked as officers of the RCMP, Royal Canadian Mounted Police. It hadn't  
been easy but we had gotten over so many obstacles to be together.

"No Ray, not at all. I was just thinking about when I first came to Chicago and then  
when you arrived replacing Ray" I answered truthfully.

"Oh, OK" he said lightly.

Kowalski was a light soul as Vecchio was more a brooding type. I loved them both as  
the brothers I never had.

As we stopped at a traffic-light Diefenbaker started to bark. I looked around and  
just as the light turned green and Ray speed away I thought I saw a glimpse of  
someone I used to know. But no, it couldn't be, she would never return here where  
she was certain to get caught.

"Quiet Dief" I said turning around facing him, he was partly deaf, or well he had  
been deaf I had started to think he now used it as an excuse to ignore me.

"What's up with Dief?" Ray asked.

"I don't know, can be he saw something" I felt that I had tensed.

"Well it seems to be a quiet afternoon, shall I drop you both off back at the  
Consulate on the way back to the precinct?" Ray asked.

"No, we can walk back" I said declining his offer having Diefenbaker whining "You  
and I both need to walk, we sit still way too much here in the city" I told him.

After saying hello to a few friends working at the station we started our way back  
and when we were a block away from the Consulate Diefenbaker barked and ran  
off. Mostly I didn't have a leash on him and it was the same so I started running  
after him. He abruptly stopped at the gates of the park. He knew he wasn't allowed  
in running free.

"Sorry my friend" I said when he looked at me "But it can't be her, she wouldn't  
return here" I knew he too had thought he'd seen Victoria Metcalf back at the  
traffic-light. He whined a response. "Come on, let's go back to Meg. I think  
Turnbull's got something nice cooking as usual"

Turnbull was too an officer although Meg and I both wondered how he had passed  
all the tough tests. He wasn't stupid but again not the brightest person either. He  
knew all regulations and things and he did a good job as a secretary and cook at the  
Consulate.

I knew Meg had meetings all afternoon so I went into the small room that's been my  
office from the first day I arrived. Well it had even worked as a home for me and  
Diefenbaker as when we returned that day we first met Kowalski we had discovered  
that the apartment building containing our home had burnt down.

A bit preoccupied with the concern that Victoria might be back I started on the  
reports needing to be typed. Turnbull typed most of the reports that Meg didn't get  
around to do herself, but some of them contained sensitive matters and those were  
the ones I helped her with. Today there were three laying on my desk waiting for  
me. A note on top said "If you please could to these by tonight I can scan them and  
mail them to Ottawa before we go home. Inspector Fraser" She always signed the  
notes here at work with her title and name.

I took a few minutes leaning back in my chair thinking back to our wedding day. It  
had been in Toronto, her hometown, her mother wouldn't have let us have it any  
other way. Meg had looked so beautiful in her simple but still stylish dress with a  
vintage heirloom train. She had chosen not to have a veil and it had made me very  
happy that way I had been able to see her beautiful eyes clearly. A lot of Meg's  
family had come to witness the ceremony, it was aunts and uncles and cousins and  
brothers and their families. On my side of the church all our friends from Chicago  
had been gathered; Lt Welsh, Turnbull, Elaine and detectives Huey and Dewey all  
with dates. Beside me waiting at the alter both Rays had been and as bride's maids  
Meg had chosen Francesca Vecchio and my half sister Maggie MacKenzie.

Frannie and Meg was as close as friends could be these days. It hadn't always been  
like that, Frannie had hated Meg in the beginning as she had herself had her eyes on  
me, but I had never been interested in her. They say that opposites attract, but not in  
this case.

For Maggie, oh she had come much like I had to Chicago but she had been looking  
for me. Her mother had passed away and she had found out who was her real father  
and she wanted to get to know me.

"I thought you would be half way through those reports by now" I heard the soft  
voice of my wife and looked up to see her standing in the door with two cups of  
coffee. "I saw you come in 20 minutes ago" she tried to put that hard tone on, the  
one she had used to often in the beginning when she first came here. No wonder  
Vecchio had called her "the Ice-Queen"

I stood and took one of the cups and kissed her softly on the cheek. "I had all  
intentions to start at once, but there was a note that caught me off guard" I stepped  
aside so she could join me at the desk.

"Did you have a good day with Kowalski?" she asked as she sat down.

"It was fine, the criminal seemed to have a day off, we just drove around a bit before  
we returned to the precinct" I said truthfully.

"Do you know that Diefenbaker is sitting by the back-door?" Meg asked.

"No I didn't, I thought he was in the kitchen eating whatever Turnbull had left in his  
bowl" I stood to looked out into the hallway. "Diefenbaker, come here" I called him.  
I turned around and saw Meg sitting with a straight back, something she did when  
she had a meeting coming up she didn't look forward to. "Who's your next  
appointment?" I asked.

"Henri, on video" she said. This was the man who had tried to have his way with her  
when she had been working in Ottawa and actually the only one that had opposed  
to us getting married.

"I'm so sorry I can't take the meeting instead of you" I said and put my cup down on  
my desk to rub her shoulders a bit.

"Mmmm, that is so nice" Meg moaned "I really needed that"

"I can promise more tonight if you like" I said softly.

"I'll hold you to that" Meg said and got up and left my office.

I sat back down and typed the reports for her. I was done just before five and when I  
knocked on her door she called for me to come in. The first thing I saw as usual  
when I entered the big office was the couch. It stood where it always had been but it  
had had a new meaning since our first day back from our honey moon when we  
had been working late to try and catch up on all the work gathered for us but we  
hadn't been able to keep our hands off each other and ended up on the sofa. I can't  
say it had been ideal but it had had it's purpose with me sitting down and Meg in  
my lap. Afterwards we had both been very happy that it had been way after hours  
and no chance Turnbull would walk in on us.

"I've got the reports for you, shall I put them in the scanner?" I asked and made my  
way over to her desk.

"Please do, I want to get home before six tonight" Meg said.

We quickly worked together and exactly as the church bell straight over from the  
office chimed six we locked the door behind us. I put the leash on Diefenbaker as I  
was no mood to chase after him if he ran off, and a second reason was that the  
shortest walk back to our home was through the park.

As we walked past a playground in the park Diefenbaker started to whine. I looked  
up and around and that was when I spotted the woman looking just like Victoria.  
She was pushing a young child on the swings.

Meg ran her hand up and down my arm "What's wrong Ben?" she asked.

"Oh nothing" I shrugged and we continued our walk back home.

Together we made dinner, Meg wasn't much for cooking but she was getting there. I  
had always loved to cook. It had been one of the best things I had done with my  
grandmother as I had lived with my father's parents growing up. I couldn't help but  
wonder about that woman and child in the park. Not even when I gave Meg that  
promised massage my thoughts let me rest.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The next week - ten days passed without much happening, work as usual. Life was  
good. Saturday evening we had a few of the friends over for dinner, it was the first  
time since our wedding we all got together.

Sunday morning I woke up without Meg by my side. I heard her in the bathroom  
but it wasn't like her to be up this early on Sunday. I listened and waited for her to  
come back to bed, but she didn't come so I walked over and that was when I heard  
her throw up. I opened the door and walked in.

"Go away" she said.

I just took one of her elastics she had laying on the sink and tied her hair back for  
her. "Have you been here long?" I asked.

"20 minutes" she said and slowly got up to brush her teeth. With tears in her eyes  
she looked at me through the mirror where I sat on the side of the tub "I was going  
to surprise you with breakfast, but one sip of coffee and I had to run in here" she  
started crying "The only thing I can make decently in the kitchen and not even that I  
could do today"

"You don't have to make me breakfast" I looked back at her, she did look pale "Did  
you have something last night that I didn't?" I asked her as we had been together all  
day.

"No, it wasn't me that tasted that strange fruit at the market" she smiled vaguely at  
me.

"Was the wine bad?" I asked as I hadn't had any. I never drank alcohol.

"No it was fine, and I only had one glass, it didn't taste as good as usual" Meg turned  
around and came walking towards me.

I opened my arms and pulled her close. I kissed her on the top of her head.

"Ben" she looked up at me "I don't think it's the food or wine"

"Oh" I looked her in the eyes.

"I think I might be pregnant" she said.

"Oh dear" I said and sat down before I noticed Meg running out of the bathroom.  
"Meg" I called and started after her "I know that sounded bad" I turned her around  
as I caught up with her by the side of our bed. She had tears running down her  
cheeks. I took her hand and made her sit down. Sitting down beside her "I was just  
surprised" I said knowing it wasn't an excuse at all.

"I'm sorry for just blurting it out" she said.

"How long have you suspected it" I asked.

"A few weeks" she opened her bedside drawer and took out a small box "I even got  
this the other day, but I've been scared to take it"

It was one of those home pregnancy tests she had bought "Do you want to take it  
now, so we find out together" I offered the support I could give her.

Meg nodded and went back into the bathroom. She came out a few minutes later. "It  
says we need to wait a few minutes" she showed the instructions and I started to  
count the seconds in my head when I heard her giggle. "You're scary when you start  
counting time, scary as I know how accurate you always are" she said.

Later after a celebratory breakfast I had to take Diefenbaker out for a walk. Meg had  
gone back to bed to rest a bit. As we walked along our usual Sunday path I again  
saw the woman looking like Victoria, she was the same hight and had the same kind  
of hair, but I couldn't see her face. This time she was alone and as Dief barked she  
turned and walked another way.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Thursday morning I was riding with Ray Vecchio in his fourth Riviera since I had  
gotten to know him, that is was his fourth was a very sore subject to him.

"Something bothering you Benny" Ray asked.

"No" I tried to lie "Well yes there is. Can you somehow check if a person you thought  
you'd never see again is back in town" I asked.

"Is this person a criminal" he asked.

"Both yes and no" I paused "It's Victoria, I think I've seen her around a couple of  
weeks" I told him about when and where I had seen the woman.

"It sounds like her and if so, she's stalking you. You said you saw her with a kid one  
time?" Ray asked.

"Yes, in the park when Meg and I were walking home" I answered.

"Are you worried that she might try and get back to you through a kid?" Ray was  
always direct in his questions, that was what made him such a great detective.

"I'm worried that if she steps out of the shadows so to speak that the child might be  
mine, I mean the last time she was here....." I didn't finish the sentence. It was  
another sore subject between us as Ray had had the house to himself and I had let  
him down, both by not paying back the money I owed him in time and then not  
showing up. And when I did pay back the money it had been with the money  
Victoria had put in my walled before she wiped my kitchen clean on her  
fingerprints.

"I understand Benny, I will see what I can do" Ray said.

We rode along quietly, it was much like the other week when I first had spotted  
what I thought was Victoria a slow day on the streets of Chicago.

Suddenly the cell phone I just recently required started to ring. It was Meg. She had  
had a doctor's appointment that same morning and I hadn't been able to come with  
her due to my ride-along with Ray. The doctor confirmed what we already knew  
since Sunday morning and I couldn't help but smile broadly.

"Married life suits you Benny" Ray said as I hung up.

"Thank you kindly Ray" I looked over at him "As one of my closest and oldest friends  
I have to tell you something"

"Don't keep me in suspense Fraser" he said.

"We're having a baby" I had to say it out loud or I'd burst.

Ray pushed the break and turned around a corner into a more quiet street where he  
stopped. "Come again?" he said.

"Meg's six week's pregnant, she just got it confirmed from her doctor" I said.

"Congratulations Benny" Ray said and grinned "Way to go, another Mountie in  
Chicago"

"Could you please not tell anyone. I think Meg wants to wait a bit before we tell  
people around us" I asked.

"Of course" Ray said and pushed me in the arm with his fist "I never knew you had it  
in you Benny, but again I never thought I'd see you married either" he turned quiet.

"What's wrong Ray?" I asked.

"Please don't tell mother in a while, she will just start nagging again" Ray said.

"OK, not until we tell the others then, you know your mother is the closest thing I  
have to one of my own" I said sadly.

"You must miss your parents a lot at a time like this" Ray offered and started the car  
again.

Just as he was about to turn out into the traffic I saw her again and this time her  
face. It was Victoria, she was stepping out from one of my old favorite diners. "Stop  
the car Ray" I said as I took my stetson from the dashboard and opened the door and  
ran after her. It didn't take me long to catch up with her and as I grabbed her arm I  
turned her around towards me.

She smiled, that seductive smile of her "Hello Ben, nice to see you" she made a move  
to hug me.

"I...." I didn't know what to say "I..." I tried again but no, it wasn't nice to see her.  
"I'm arresting you for the....." I heard how Ray started to explain to Victoria that she  
was been caught for the crimes she had done about four years ago. I just stood there  
by the side.

"You can't do this, I have a baby to pick up" Victoria said looking straight at me "She  
just turned three the other month"

I felt my heart stop, had it after all been my child. Was I already a father. I had the  
last few days together with Meg started to talk about what we would do when the  
baby came, there were so long time still.

"Ben, can you go get her for me?" Victoria pleaded as Ray put her in a squad car he  
had called for to take her back to the precinct. I faintly heard her say an address for  
where the daycare were.

I opened the door to Ray's Riviera but didn't get in. I lent against the frame of the  
car.

"Are you OK Benny?" I heard Ray asked stopping beside me.

"I think we need to visit that daycare" I sighed "I mean she really have a child there  
we can't let it stay there until no one comes to pick it up"

"Of course Benny" Ray said and called in our destination.

At the daycare we were let in at once. "Ms Metcalf said that one day a man in red  
uniform was going to come for Lizzie" the young woman who had presented herself  
as Miss Johnson said.

"She did, didn't she" Ray said in the way he spoke when he was irritated.

Miss Johnson looked directly at me "She said that I should tell you that Lizzie knew  
who you were and that she would be safe going with you"

I was stunned and didn't know what to say but "I understand" I nodded.

"I will go get her, it's almost her usual pick-up time" Miss Johnson left us standing in  
the hall.

"Benny, you don't look too good" I heard Ray say. "We will sort this, I promise"

"Understood" I said quietly and sat down on a chair nearby. I bent my head between  
my legs as I had felt like I was about to faint.

A few minutes later a small girl came skipping by the side of Miss Johnson. "Are you  
a real policeman?" she asked Ray.

I looked up and saw a little girl with the same color and the same curls as Victoria.  
What I also saw was the same unique color of eyes that I knew I had myself,  
sometimes they were green sometimes they were blue. I had never run from any  
responsibilities but my first instinct now was to run, run as far as I could and I got  
up and rushed towards the door.

"I'm sorry" Miss Johnson said when I couldn't open it. We have it coded for the  
safety of the children.

"Benny" I felt Ray's hand on my arm and knew he could see straight through me  
when I looked at him "We'll sort it"

I heard Ray explain quickly what would happen to the girl to Miss Johnson and at  
the same time I felt tugging on my tunic and when I looked down the girl held out  
her arms to be picked up. It wasn't that I never had picked children up, the Vecchio  
kids were always wanting attention. As a robot I bent down and picked her up. I put  
my hat on her head and smiled at her.

"Are you my daddy?" Lizzie asked shyly "Mommy said my daddy had a red coat and  
funny looking pants, just like you do"

"I don't know" I said feeling a lump in my throat as I knew all to well that this was  
my child.

I ignored the buzzing from my cell-phone. I had to concentrate on the child at least  
until we came back to the precinct.

"Let's go Benny" I heard Ray say and saw him standing with a pink sweater and a  
pink little back-pack in his hand. He also introduced himself to Lizzie and when we  
got to the car he took out a car-seat from the trunk "I had to take the youngest home  
yesterday" he explained himself.

Lizzie talked all the way back to the precinct and Diefenbaker seemed to listen to  
her. It was like he knew that she belonged to his flock. Although all the evidence  
where there I wouldn't be sure until I'd had a paternity test done.  
As soon as I stepped into the bullpen I knew something was amiss and before I saw  
her I could feel Meg's presence.

"What is this about you needing support?" she was in her Inspector mood but I  
could also hear the concern on her voice.

I was carrying Lizzie and when Meg looked at the child she froze on the spot her  
arms out as she was about to hug me. Lt Welsh came and escorted us straight into  
his office where they had Victoria held. I knew this would be a disaster and I turned  
quickly and handed Lizzie to Elaine who was standing right behind me.  
"Ice-cream or something" I just said "Or maybe better a fruit"

"She's allergic to pears" Victoria quickly joined in.

We had just closed the door when all hell broke loose. I quickly ushered Meg to sit  
down as far from Victoria as possible.

"Quiet, we're dealing with a child here" Lt Welsh bellowed and everyone looked at  
him.

The rest of the afternoon went by with high notes and arguing. Elaine had popped  
her head in saying she was taking Lizzie to the park.

The crimes that Victoria was to be charge for were pretty bad but to make it easy on  
Lizzie who had been scared by all the grownups arguing Lt Welsh made a quick  
arrangement and with a monitor around her ankle Victoria was put with a guard as  
well outside the door to the apartment she was renting until the next morning.

Quietly Meg and I drove back to the Consulate. During the hours at the policestation  
there had been blood drawn and with connections Lt Welsh had promised  
there would be a result the next morning. But I had seen in Meg's eyes the same  
thing as I had realized myself when I first saw the little girl's eye color.

"How long have you known?" Meg asked me as we closed the door behind us at the  
Consulate.

"Since this afternoon, or..." I swayed on my words "I'm suspecting I don't know for  
sure"

"She's got your eyes, how much more sure do you need to be" Meg was angry with  
me.

"I..." I took a deep breath and lead Meg to the chairs in front of her desk.

"This will change everything, Victoria will be in prison for a long time, what she did  
to you four years ago and then the old crime on top of that, no judge however soft  
he or she is will let her do anything but serve time in prison" Meg tried to keep  
calm.

I sat down in the other chair.

"Did you know she was in Chicago?" Meg asked.

"I suspected it" I said and told her about the sightings and that Ray was going to look  
into it today or tomorrow, but there were no need for it now.

"You need to learn to trust me with these things Ben" Meg put her hands on my  
knees "That's what couples do" she said.

I felt tears coming down my cheeks and when I looked up at Meg she was crying  
too. I reached for her so she could come sit in my lap and I hugged her tightly.  
"We will get through this Ben" Meg said to me and kissed me softly "I know it's a big  
shock on us both"

"But..." I said as I had 'heard' it in her sentence.

"But I think we should look into taking care of Lizzie" she said.

"If she really is mine" I stated.

"I don't think there is any doubt about that" Meg said "Although I want to see the  
results myself"

I raised my hand and cupped her cheek "I love you so much Meg Fraser" I softly  
kissed her.

"I love you too" Meg whispered against my lips "Will you take me home?" she asked  
and I nodded, we wouldn't get anything done here anyway.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The unusual circumstances and the fact there was a child involved made us getting  
a court date quickly. The paternity test had showed that Lizzie was indeed mine and  
she had moved in with me and Meg. The weekend that was coming we were going  
to redo the home office to Lizzie's room. She and Meg got very well along and that  
made me very happy. Diefenbaker was too happy with having Lizzie around. As  
Meg's, no our, apartment was on the ground floor and the yard behind was fenced  
in Lizzie and Diefenbaker played outside as much as possible.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Seven months after Lizzie had moved in with us, on Meg's last day at the office our  
son Lucas Robert Fraser was born. My heart melted the first time I held him and  
when Meg said the names we later given him my heart almost burst, the L in Lucas  
to match Lizzie's L and Robert after my father.

Victoria was still playing mind games with me. She wrote letters to Lizzie that I had  
to read to her and there were always a double meaning to what she wrote. This was  
her sharp criminal mind working. Being a Canadian in Chicago made it hard for  
me to look for sole custody, but I was going to apply again within the next year  
coming. Lizzie had asked if she could call Meg mom too even though she really  
wasn't. Meg had cried as she had been highly pregnant and very hormonal but  
reassured the little girl that she could call her anything that she liked.

My life had changed to much the last 6 years since I came to Chicago on the trail of  
my fathers killer, but it was all to the better and who knew, one day maybe me and  
my little family can go back to Canada to live and work, I know Meg want to be  
closer to her parents since Lucas arrived.

The End

~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters I've only borrowed them from the terrific  
show "Due South". But this is my story, made up in my mind please respect that.  
©tinadolphin@comhem.se 20150526


End file.
